Shepherd and shepherdess

On display

V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 53a

Artist/Maker	Collins, William (possibly) Cheere, Henry (Sir, Bart.) (sculptor)
Place of origin	England (made)

Once thought to be the work of John Bacon the Elder, in 1984 it was suggested that this relief should be identified with one exhibited by Collins at the Society of Artists exhibition held at Spring Gardens, London, in 1761 and described as 'for a chimney-piece; a clown and country girl'. Similar plaques may be found in a chimneypiece at Bretton Hall, near Wakefield, Yorkshire, and in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Merseyside. A closely related marble relief also acquired by the V&A from the Jones collection, originally attributed to Joseph Nollekens, has recently been re-attributed to Sir Henry Cheere or Collins (inv. no. 1176-1882). Collins served his apprenticeship under Cheere, and later became well known for his chimneypiece reliefs.

Object details

Categories	Sculpture British Galleries Reliefs
Object type	Relief
Title	Shepherd and shepherdess (generic title)
Materials and techniques	Marble on giallo marble backing, in a gilt wood frame Marble Wood Gilding
Brief description	Relief, marble on giallo marble backing in a gilt wood frame, Shepherd and Shepherdess, attributed to William Collins, England, ca. 1761
Physical description	The shepherdess lies asleep, while her swain sits beside her scratching his head. They both sit beside a tree to rest accompanied by a dog.
Dimensions	With frame height: 41cm Width: 64cm Weight estimated by object handlers: approx. 50-60 kg Dimensions checked: Measured; 21/01/1999 by LM
Gallery label	(27/03/2003) British Galleries: This relief, showing an idyllic, pastoral subject, was probably inspired by prints of the work of the French Rococo painter François Boucher (1703-1770). It may have been intended for the central panel of a chimneypiece.
Credit line	Bequeathed by John Jones
Object history	Bequeathed to the Museum by John Jones in 1882. On acquisition the relief was thought to be the work of John Bacon the Elder and described as such in the Catalogue of the Jones Collection, published in 1924. In 1984 however it was suggested that it should be identified with one exhibited at Collins at the Society of Artists exhibition held at Spring Gardens in 1761 (no. 144), described as 'for a chimney-piece; a clown and country girl'.
Subjects depicted	Shepherd Shepherdess Dog Tree Basket Walking Stick
Summary	Once thought to be the work of John Bacon the Elder, in 1984 it was suggested that this relief should be identified with one exhibited by Collins at the Society of Artists exhibition held at Spring Gardens, London, in 1761 and described as 'for a chimney-piece; a clown and country girl'. Similar plaques may be found in a chimneypiece at Bretton Hall, near Wakefield, Yorkshire, and in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Merseyside. A closely related marble relief also acquired by the V&A from the Jones collection, originally attributed to Joseph Nollekens, has recently been re-attributed to Sir Henry Cheere or Collins (inv. no. 1176-1882). Collins served his apprenticeship under Cheere, and later became well known for his chimneypiece reliefs.
Bibliographic references	List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1882. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1883. pp. 110 Catalogue of the Jones Bequest. 1924. II, No. 394 Smith, T.J. Nollekens and his times, comprehending a life of that sculptor and memoirs of several artists, from the time of Roubillac, Hogarth and Reynolds to that of Fuseli, Flaxman and Blake. London, 1828. II. pp. 313 Baker, Malcolm. Figured in Marble. The Making and Viewing of Eighteenth- Century Sculpture. London: V&A Publications, 2000. pp. 77 Bilbey, Diane with Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470 to 2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V& A Publications, 2002. pp. 68-9 c.f Girouard, Mark. Picton Castle, Pembrokeshire- II. Country Life. CLXXVII. 14 Jan 1960. pp. 67, 69 Physick. J. Designs for English Sculpture 1680-1860. London, 1969. pp. 128-9 Clay, A, Morris, E, Penketh, S, Stevens, T. British Sculpture in the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Liverpool: National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, 1999. pp. 2-3 Powell, N. 'Rococo in England'. Apollo. CXX. August 1984. pp. 98-105 Snodin, Michael (ed.), Rococo : art and design in Hogarth's England, London : Trefoil Books, 1984 no. S49 Young, Hilary (ed.). The Genius of Wedgwood. London : Victoria & Albert Museum, 1995 F12
Collection	Sculpture Collection
Accession number	1152-1882

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Record created	February 26, 2003
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O75324/shepherd-and-shepherdess-relief-collins-william/

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